US 11,911,920 B2
System for the temporary storage of objects
Pierre Bomel, Concarneau (FR); and Eric Martin, Lorient (FR)
Assigned to UNIVERSITE DE BRETAGNE SUD, Lorient (FR)
Appl. No. 17/433,098
Filed by UNIVERSITE DE BRETAGNE SUD, Lorient (FR)
PCT Filed Feb. 24, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/054768
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 23, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/173874, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1902044 (FR), filed on Feb. 28, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0088789 A1, Mar. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. B25J 9/16 (2006.01); G05B 19/4155 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 9/1697 (2013.01) [G05B 19/4155 (2013.01); G05B 2219/31043 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for temporarily storing objects in a temporary-storage system comprising a temporary-storage belt, a control unit and signalling means, the temporary-storage belt comprising a plurality of regularly distributed sensors, the position of each sensor on the temporary-storage belt being distinctly identified, wherein the temporary-storage method causes the temporary storage system to perform the steps of:
a loading step during which objects may be deposited on the temporary-storage belt;
an unloading step during which guidance is provided for removing the deposited objects that are temporarily stored on the temporary-storage belt,
the loading step comprising:
detecting, during a loading phase during which objects may be deposited on the temporary-storage belt, by at least one of the sensors, an object deposited on the temporary-storage belt, when the object is deposited on the temporary-storage belt at the position of the at least one of the sensors,
for each deposition of an object detected, receiving, during the loading phase during which objects may be deposited on the temporary-storage belt, by the control unit, information representing the deposition coming from the at least one of the sensors which detected the deposited object, and
for each deposition of an object detected, recording during the loading phase during which objects may be deposited on the temporary-storage belt, a trace of the deposition of the object in association with a reference to each of the sensors activated by the deposition of the object;
and to perform the steps during an unloading phase during which guidance is provided for removing the deposited objects that are temporarily stored on the temporary-storage belt:
determining, during an unloading phase during which guidance is provided for removing the deposited objects that are temporarily stored on the temporary-storage belt, by the control unit, a removal sequence indicating the order in which the objects deposited on the temporary-storage belt must be removed,
identifying, during the unloading phase during which guidance is provided for removing the deposited objects that are temporarily stored on the temporary-storage belt by the control unit, for each object to be removed in the order of the removal sequence the referenced sensors that have been activated by the deposition of the object in the context of the loading phase,
transmitting, during the unloading phase during which guidance is provided for removing the deposited objects that are temporarily stored on the temporary-storage belt by the control unit, to the signalling means, signalling, for each object to be removed in the order of the removal sequence, information identifying the position of the object to be removed from the sensors identified,
signalling, during the unloading phase during which guidance is provided for removing the deposited objects that are temporarily stored on the temporary-storage belt, by the signalling means, for each object to be removed in the order of the removal sequence, the position of the object to be removed, and
when the object is removed from the temporary-storage belt, receiving, during the unloading phase during which guidances is provided for removing the deposited objects that are temporarily stored on the temporary-storage belt, corresponding information coming from at least one of the sensors and continuing the removal sequence with a new object to be removed, if such exists.